Wrapping machine and inline wrapper comprising the same

ABSTRACT

A wrapping machine includes a fixed inner hoop having a non-circular shape. The wrapping machine also includes a rotatable outer hoop rotatably connected to the outer surface of the inner hoop and having a shape that matches that of the inner hoop, thereby allowing the outer hoop to maintain a proximal relationship with the outer surface of the inner hoop during rotation. The wrapping machine further includes at least one cantilevered support mounted on the outer hoop, the cantilevered support having at least one spool holder for rotatably mounting a spool of wrapping material thereon, and a driving mechanism operatively connected to the outer hoop for rotating the outer hoop. The non-circular shape of the wrapping machine is advantageous in that it is better adapted to wrap square or rectangular loads.

This application claims benefit of Ser. No. 61/432,818, filed 14 Jan. 2011 in the United States and which application is incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosed applications.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wrapping machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wrapping machine having an improved design to accommodate a larger selection of load of different shapes and an inline wrapper comprising the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Several types of wrapping machines are known in the prior art. Known wrapping machines range from individual wrapping machines, for wrapping single items, to wrapping machines for inline wrappers that wrap a line of conveyed unwrapped materials into wrapped columns of different shapes and sizes. The latter type of wrapping machines is often used in the wrapping of bales of silage.

An example of a wrapping machine of an inline wrapper, which is used in the wrapping of bales of silage, can be found in Canadian patent No. 2,112,530 describing a bale wrapping machine for wrapping bales with a plastic sheet.

Conventional wrapping machines for inline wrapper, which present a hoop with a round configuration, however tend to suffer from several drawbacks. Indeed, conventional wrapping machines are limited in the amount of bales of silage which can be stacked before going through the wrapping machine. Moreover, the shape of the wrapping machine often proves to be cumbersome, which can be inconvenient for transport, exportation, and storage of the machine.

Furthermore, recently, the trend concerning the shape of the bales has shifted towards the wrapping of materials into square shaped columns, which are easier to produce and subsequently stack and store, especially in the farming industry, thereby resulting in an improved production rate.

Current wrappers designed for round bales cannot easily accommodate squared shape bales without being substantially modified and unnecessarily stretch the wrapping material, thereby creating waste and an improper seal.

In light of the above, there is a presently a need for an improved wrapping machine and inline wrapper comprising the same which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a general aspect of the invention, there is provided a wrapping machine for wrapping a load. The wrapping machine comprises a fixed inner hoop having a non-circular shape and comprising inner and outer surfaces. The wrapping machine also comprises a rotatable outer hoop rotatably connected to the outer surface of the inner hoop. The shape of the outer hoop matches that of the inner hoop, thereby allowing the outer hoop to maintain a proximal relationship with the outer surface of the inner hoop during rotation. The wrapping machine further comprises at least one cantilevered support mounted on the outer hoop. The cantilevered support comprises at least one spool holder for rotatable mounting a spool of wrapping material thereon, and a driving mechanism operatively connected to the outer hoop for rotating the outer hoop.

According to another general aspect, there is also provided an inline bale wrapper for wrapping a bale. The inline bale wrapper comprises a base frame having a bale receiving section, for receiving a bale of unwrapped material, and a bale unloading section, for unloading the bale, following a wrapping of the bale by a wrapping machine located between the bale receiving section and the bale unloading section. The wrapping machine comprises a fixed inner hoop having a non-circular shape and comprising inner and outer surfaces. The wrapping machine also comprises a rotatable outer hoop rotatable connected to the outer surface of the inner hoop. The shape of the outer hoop matches that of the inner hoop, thereby allowing the outer hoop to maintain a proximal relationship with the outer surface of the inner hoop during rotation. The wrapping machine further comprises at least one cantilevered support mounted on the outer hoop. The cantilevered support comprises at least one spool holder for rotatable mounting a spool of wrapping material thereon, and a driving mechanism mounted on the base frame of the inline bale wrapper and operatively connected to the outer hoop, for rotating the outer hoop.

In an embodiment, the outer hoop is formed of a plurality of interlocking sections. Each interlocking section comprises an elongated main body, a male interlocking member, a female interlocking member and at least one roller assembly mounted thereto. The male interlocking member is located at a first extremity of the main body and is pivotally connectable to a female interlocking member of a first adjacent interlocking section. The female interlocking member is located at a second extremity of the main body, opposite to the first extremity, and is pivotally connectable to a male interlocking member of a second adjacent interlocking section. The at least one roller assembly is operatively connected to one of the main body, the male interlocking member or the female interlocking member.

In an embodiment, the inner hoop and outer hoop of the wrapping machine are each composed of top and bottom arcuate sections interconnected by first and second elongated central sections. The top and bottom arcuate sections are preferably one of a half circle or a half rounded square.

In an embodiment, the top arcuate sections are half circles and the bottom arcuate sections are half rounded squares.

Still according to a preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism of the wrapping machine, which drives the outer hoop, is a friction wheel.

Amongst other things, the non-circular shape of the above described wrapping machine is advantageous in that it is better adapted to wrap square or rectangular loads.

The objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrapping machine, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the wrapping machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 includes FIGS. 3 a to 3 d which are respectively a bottom perspective view, a top perspective view, a side view and an exploded view of the components of an interlocking section of the wrapping machine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 includes FIGS. 4 a and 4 b which are respectively a bottom view and a top view of the cantilevered support of the wrapping machine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an inline wrapper comprising a wrapping machine, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a wrapping machine, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a wrapping machine, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It will be noted that in the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in the present description are preferred embodiments only, given solely for exemplification purposes. Moreover, it will be appreciated that positional descriptions such as “upward”, “downward”, “forward”, “backward”, “above”, “below”, and the like should, unless otherwise indicated, be taken in the context of the figures and should not be considered limiting.

Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an embodiment of a wrapping machine 10 designed for wrapping a load. For example, and without being limitative, a load can be any wrappable item such as without being limitative, a bale, a box, a package, a bundle of item or the like. The wrapping machine 10 comprises a fixed inner hoop 12 which serves as a support structure and guide for a rotatable outer hoop 13, mounted on the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12.

The fixed inner hoop 12 presents a non-circular configuration. The term “non-circular” is used herein to include any shape that differs form a circular configuration such as, without being limitative, an elliptical shape, a rounded square shape or any combination thereof.

In an embodiment, the non-circular configuration encompasses two arcuate sections 12 a and 12 d which are located at the top and bottom extremities. The top and bottom arcuate sections can be interconnected by first and second elongated sections 12 b and 12 c. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the top section 12 a is a half circle, the bottom section 12 d is a rounded square and the elongated sections 12 b and 12 c are straight elongated members. One skilled in the art will however understand that the top 12 a and bottom 12 d arcuate sections could both be half rounded squares (as shown in FIG. 6) or half circles (as shown in FIG. 7). Moreover the elongated members of the elongated sections 12 b and 12 c could present a curvature without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The term “half rounded square” is used herein to refer to a shape where a horizontal elongated portion 12 e extends between rounded corners 12 f. The vertical elongated portion 12 e could be straight or present a slight curvature without departing from the scope of the present invention and need not be perfectly aligned vertically, i.e. could present a slight vertical angle.

Similarly, the term “half circle” is used herein to refer to a shape with a continuous curvature. Therefore it is understood that the shape of the “half circle” need not be such that it would form a circle if coupled with an inverted replica. Moreover the curvature need not be constant, but could be sharper in certain sections than in others without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The shape of the outer hoop 13 matches that of the inner hoop 12. Therefore, the shape of the outer hoop 13 also is non-circular. The outer hoop 13 presents a similar configuration to that of the inner hoop 12, but in a slightly larger format, in order to be rotatable mounted around the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12, in a proximal relationship. The above description concerning the different possibilities for the shape of the inner hoop 12 apply verbatim to the shape of the outer hoop 13.

It will be understood that even though the illustrated embodiments, present the inner 12 and outer 13 hoops with the elongated sections 12 b and 12 c pointing vertically, the orientation of the wrapping machine 10 could be different from the one illustrated in the appended figures, without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the elongated sections could point horizontally or in a different direction.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the preferred embodiment, the outer hoop 13 comprises a plurality of interlocking sections 15, interconnected to one another to form the outer hoop 13.

As can better be seen in FIGS. 3 a to 3 c, each interlocking section 15 is preferably composed of an elongated main body 15 a. The elongated main body 15 a preferably is outwardly curved in order to improve the contact between the interlocking section 15 and the driving mechanism 40, which will be described later in the description. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the elongated main body 15 a of each interlocking section 15 could present different configurations, as long as the resulting outer hoop 13 can be rotatable mounted around the inner hoop 12. For example, the main body 15 a could be straight if the distance between outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12 and the outer hoop 13 is sufficient, such that the middle portion of the main body 15 a does not come into contact with the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12 along the arcuate sections 12 a and 12 d, during rotation.

In the preferred embodiment, the elongated main body 15 a is provided with a male interlocking member 15 b at a first extremity. The male interlocking member 15 b comprises a pair of arms 15 c mounted on the main body 15 a, at the first extremity. The arms 15 c are mounted on each lateral sides of the main body 15 a and project perpendicularly thereof in an essentially parallel relationship. One skilled in the art will however understand that the arms 15 c need not be exactly perpendicular from the main body 15 a and/or exactly parallel to one another.

The male interlocking member 15 b, further comprises an attachment pin 15 d projecting between the arms 15 c. In the illustrated, non limitative embodiment, the attachment pin 15 d projecting between each arm 15 c is a single pin held in place using a nut and bolt arrangement. However one skilled in the art will easily understand that other arrangements could be used to hold the attachment pin in place, such as, without being limitative, a security pin or the like. Moreover, a distinct attachment pin 15 d projecting from each arm 15 c inwardly towards the opposite arm could also be provided instead of the single pin without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Moreover, the arms 15 c of the male interlocking member 15 b preferably have a longitudinally extending configuration, where the attachment pin 15 d is mounted at an extremity of the arms 15 c which extend away from the main body 15 a longitudinally. This configuration ensures that adjacent interlocking sections 15 do not come into contact during the rotation of the outer loop 13, therefore preventing adjacent interlocking sections 15 from impeding movement between each other.

Still referring to FIGS. 3 a to 3 c, in a preferred embodiment, the elongated main body 15 a is further provided with a female interlocking member 15 e at a second extremity located opposite to the first extremity. The female interlocking member 15 e comprises a pair of arms 15 f mounted on the main body 15 a, at the second extremity. The arms 15 f are mounted on each lateral side of the main body 15 a and project perpendicularly thereof. The arms 15 f are essentially parallel to one another. One skilled in the art will however understand that the arms 15 f need not be exactly perpendicular from the main body 15 a and/or exactly parallel to one another.

The female interlocking member 15 e comprises a hollow section 15 g at the extremity of each arm 15 f located opposite to the main body 15 a. The hollow section 15 g is sized and shaped to receive the attachment pin 15 d of an adjacent interlocking section 15 therein, thereby allowing the pivotal interlock of two interlocking sections 15.

In the illustrated preferred embodiment of FIG. 3 d, a roller assembly 16 is mounted on the female interlocking member 15 e, such that the outer hoop 13 can roll about freely with respect to the inner hoop 12. The roller assembly 16 is mounted between the arms 15 f and comprises a roller 16 a and a bearing assembly 16 b, allowing rotation of the roller with minimal friction. The hollow section of the female interlocking member 15 e extends through the roller assembly 16. The attachment pin 15 d is further provided with a Zerk fitting 15 h which allows easy feeding of lubricant, such as, without being limitative, lubricating grease, to the bearing assembly 16 b.

The roller 16 a comprises a guiding groove 16 c sized and shaped to receive a portion of the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12 therein. The guiding groove and matching shape of the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12 helps keeping the outer hoop 13 inline with the inner hoop 12 during the rotation of the outer hoop 13 around the fixed inner hoop 12.

One skilled in the art will easily understand that a different interlocking system could be used to removably attach the interlocking sections 15 to one another, as long as the system allows the interlocking sections to be pivotally mounted to one another.

Moreover, the roller assembly 16, which allows the outer hoop 13 to be rotatable mounted to the inner hoop 12, does not need to be attached to the female interlocking member 15 e, and could be mounted to the interlocking section 15 using a different configuration. For example, the rolling mechanism could be mounted in a different section of the main body 15 a. In an alternative embodiment, the roller assembly 16 could even be mounted on the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12.

Now referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 a and 4 b, the wrapping machine further comprises at least one cantilevered bracket or support 18 mounted on the outer hoop 13 that rotates along with the outer hoop 13, as the latter rotates around the fixed inner hoop 12. The cantilevered support 18 has a supporting frame formed of first and second supporting walls 19 c and 19 d interconnected at each extremity by support pipes 19 a and 19 b.

In the illustrated, non limitative, preferred embodiment, two cantilevered supports 18 are provided on the outer hoop 13. Each cantilevered support 18 is provided on the outer hoop 13 by one of the supporting walls 19 d being affixed to the main body of an interlocking section 15, using known mounting techniques, such as nuts and bolts.

Each cantilevered support 18 is provided with a spool holder 19 e for rotatably mounting a spool of wrapping material thereon. The spool holder 19 e comprises a connector 19 f mounted on each supporting wall. When a spool of wrapping material 20 is mounted thereon, the connector 19 f connects with the spool of wrapping material 20 by projecting into the central bore of the spool of wrapping material 20.

A tensioning mechanism 19 g is further provided on the cantilevered support 18 for stretching the wrapping material before wrapping a load. Stretching of the wrapping material occurs as a result of the rolls of the tensioning mechanism 19 g having different rotational speeds. Given the elasticity of the wrapping material, stretching of the wrapping material, before being applied around the load to be wrapped, results in a tighter subsequent wrapping of the load, the wrapping material working to return to its original unstretched state and tightening around the load in the process. Once again, the tensioning mechanism 19 g is mounted between the supporting walls 19 c and 19 d using known mounting techniques such as nuts and bolts.

When the wrapping machine 10 is in action, and the outer hoop 13 rotates around the fixed inner hoop 12, the cantilevered supports 18 rotate around the load to be wrapped, which passes through the inner hoop 12, thereby wrapping the load with wrapping material from the spools.

As better shown in FIG. 5, the outer hoop 13 is put into motion and is rotated by a driving mechanism 40 that drives the rotation of the outer hoop 13 about the contours of the outer surface 14 of the inner hoop 12. In an alternative, non limitative embodiment, this driving mechanism is mounted to a base frame 17 and comprises a friction wheel 41 abutted to a portion of the outer hoop 13. The rotation of the friction wheels 41 drives the rotation of the outer hoop 13 in the desired direction. One skilled in the art will however understand that other mechanism resulting on the rotation of the outer hoop 13 around the inner hoop 12 could be used such as, without being limitative, multiple friction wheels above and/or on the sides of outer hoop 13, a gear system or the like.

Still referring to FIG. 5, an inline bale wrapper 25 which comprises a wrapping machine 10, such as the one described above, is provided. The inline bale wrapper 25 comprises a mobile base frame 17, referred to above, when describing the driving mechanism 40. The mobile base frame 17 is preferably made of metal such as steel, and comprises a bale receiving section 30 for receiving unwrapped bales and a bale unloading section 32 for unloading wrapped bales that were wrapped by a wrapping machine 10 located between the bale receiving section 30 and the bale unloading section 32. The bale receiving section 30 further comprises a bale column transferring mechanism 31, such that an unwrapped bale column is transferred through the wrapping machine 10 located between the bale receiving section 30 and the bale unloading section 32, over to the bale unloading section 32.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, and as previously mentioned, the wrapping machine found on the inline bale wrapper 25 comprises all of the components described above in reference to the wrapping machine 10. Therefore, when operating, at least one bale column is wrapped by the rotating spool 20 mounted on the cantilevered support 18 of the wrapping machine 10, as it is transferred from the bale receiving section 30 to the bale unloading section 32 of the inline bale wrapper 25.

The non-circular shape of the above described wrapping machine 10 provides several advantages with respect to prior art circular wrapping machines. The non-circular shape of the inner 12 and outer 13 hoops is better adapted to direct the travel of the cantilevered support 18 comprising the wrapping spool mechanism around square or rectangular shaped items.

Moreover, the non-circular shape of the hoops 12 and 13 of the wrapping machine 10 provide additional flexibility during displacement of the machine from one location to another. In situations where vertical or horizontal clearance is an issue, the hoops 12 and 13 may be positioned such that its length in the given direction is minimized and is shorter compared to the diameter of a circular hoop that could accommodate a similarly sized square or rectangular item.

Moreover, the use of the roller assembly 16 on the outer hoop 13 provides a simplified and efficient means for displacing the wrapping material, when compared to systems using mechanical chain links, with a reduced use of lubricant. This also renders the wrapping machine more energy efficient as less power is required to drive the outer hoop, when compared to equivalent mechanical chain link structures.

Although the above description described a use of a wrapping machine in combination with an inline bale wrappers, it is understood that a wrapping machine according to the present invention can be used for any type of inline wrappers for wrapping items being conveyed through the inner and outer hoop structures.

Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A wrapping machine for wrapping a load, the wrapping machine comprising: a fixed inner hoop having a non-circular shape, the inner hoop comprising inner and outer surfaces; a rotatable outer hoop rotatably connected to the outer surface of the inner hoop, the shape of the outer hoop matching that of the inner hoop, thereby allowing the outer hoop to maintain a proximal relationship with the outer surface of the inner hoop during rotation; at least one cantilevered support mounted on the outer hoop, the cantilevered support comprising at least one spool holder for rotatably mounting a spool of wrapping material thereon; and a driving mechanism operatively connected to the outer hoop for rotating the outer hoop.
 2. The wrapping machine of claim 1, wherein the inner hoop and outer hoop are each composed of top and bottom arcuate sections.
 3. The wrapping machine of claim 2, wherein the top and bottom arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are one of a half circle or a half rounded square.
 4. The wrapping machine of claim 3, wherein the top and bottom arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are interconnected by first and second elongated central sections.
 5. The wrapping machine of claim 4, wherein the top arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are half circles and the bottom arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are half rounded squares.
 6. The wrapping machine of claim 1, wherein the outer hoop is formed of a plurality of interlocking sections.
 7. The wrapping machine of claim 6, wherein each interlocking section comprises: an elongated main body; a male interlocking member located at a first extremity of the main body and pivotally connectable to a female interlocking member of a first adjacent interlocking section; a female interlocking member located at a second extremity of the main body being opposite to the first extremity and pivotally connectable to a male interlocking member of a second adjacent interlocking section; and at least one roller assembly operatively connected to one of the main body, the male interlocking member or the female interlocking member.
 8. The wrapping machine of claim 7, wherein the elongated main body of each interlocking section presents an outwardly curved configuration.
 9. The wrapping machine of claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism is a friction wheel.
 10. The wrapping machine of claim 1, wherein the load is a bale.
 11. An inline bale wrapper for wrapping a bale, the inline bale wrapper comprising a base frame having a bale receiving section for receiving a bale of unwrapped material and a bale unloading section for unloading the bale, following a wrapping of the bale by a wrapping machine located between the bale receiving section and the bale unloading section, wherein the wrapping machine comprises: a fixed inner hoop having a non-circular shape, the inner hoop comprising inner and outer surfaces; a rotatable outer hoop rotatable connected to the outer surface of the inner hoop, the shape of the outer hoop matching that of the inner hoop, thereby allowing the outer hoop to maintain a proximal relationship with the outer surface of the inner hoop during rotation; at least one cantilevered support mounted on the outer hoop, the cantilevered support comprising at least one spool holder for rotatable mounting a spool of wrapping material thereon; and a driving mechanism mounted on the base frame of the inline bale wrapper and operatively connected to the outer hoop for rotating the outer hoop.
 12. The inline bale wrapper of claim 11, wherein a bale transferring mechanism is further provided, the bale transferring mechanism transferring the bale from the bale receiving section to the bale unloading section, through the inner hoop of the wrapping machine.
 13. The inline bale wrapper of claim 12, wherein the inner hoop and outer hoop are each composed of top and bottom arcuate sections.
 14. The wrapping machine of claim 13, wherein the top and bottom arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are one of a half circle or a half rounded square.
 15. The inline bale wrapper of claim 14, wherein the top and bottom arcuate sections of the inner hoop and outer hoop are interconnected by first and second elongated central sections.
 16. The wrapping machine of claim 15, wherein the top arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are half circles and the bottom arcuate sections of the inner and outer hoops are half rounded squares.
 17. The inline bale wrapper of claim 11, wherein the outer hoop is formed of a plurality of interlocking sections.
 18. The inline bale wrapper of claim 17, wherein each interlocking section comprises: an elongated main body; a male interlocking member located at a first extremity of the main body and pivotally connectable to a female interlocking member of a first adjacent interlocking section; a female interlocking member located at a second extremity of the main body being opposite to the first extremity and pivotally connectable to a male interlocking member of a second adjacent interlocking section; and at least one roller assembly operatively connected to one of the main body, the male interlocking member or the female interlocking member.
 19. The inline bale wrapper of claim 18, wherein the elongated main body of each interlocking section presents an outwardly curved configuration.
 20. The inline bale wrapper of claim 11, wherein the driving mechanism is a friction wheel. 